A New Slave
by IReallyLoveSantana
Summary: In the 1800's Santana Lopez's family was notorious for their wealth. After her slave-turned-lover Brittany dies, Santana finally buys a new slave.
1. Chapter 1

_**The setting of this story is in the late 1800's. The Lopez family is among the wealthiest in the United States, along with the Fabrays(obviously), Puckermans, and Hummels. Santana lives in her own mansion, as her parents bought her for her 17**__**th**__** birthday. Brittany was her significant other for years, but was recently killed in a fire, along with her entire family. Santana has since turned into an even more angry and bitter person.**_

___**The slave trade in this story does not exclude other races. If a child is "found" under the age of 3 and the parents can not be located, they are trained as slaves and servants. Many slave trainers kidnap children to be trained. **_

_** This story came to me in a dream, like most of mine do. I hope you enjoy it and leave a review! Thanks.**_

"How about this one ma'am?" The slave owner suggested, pointing to a tall man in shackles. Santana shook her head.

"He's too big." She said impatiently. The man had shown her many slaves, and none of them have been right. He had brought out every one that he owned and shackled them to the large stone wall before she had arrived. It was custom to show the very best for anyone from the Lopez family.

Santana and the slave owner walked along the wall, passing by slaves of different size, gender, and race. Again, none of them caught her eye. Until they reached the end of the line.

Santana Lopez approached the last slave on the wall. The only reason the girl had caught her eyes was because of the fact that she was sitting down, like she didn't know that she was in the presence of her superiors.

"Stand up." Santana commanded, stepping towards the girl. She waited a few seconds and got no response.

The slave owner walked past Santana to grab the slave by the arm. He yanked her up roughly and forced her to look Santana in the eye.

"What is your name?" Santana asked of her. The girl locked her jaw and stared back at her with her green eyes. Her owner quickly struck her on the back of the head and she cried out.

"Clair." The slave replied quietly. Her gaze did not drop from Santana's.

"I'm not sure you want this one Ms. Santana. We've been having some trouble breaking her. She's stubborn, like a wild horse." The slave owner told the young lady.

"Take off her shackles. I want to inspect her for myself. And that's Ms. Lopez to you." Santana ordered, continuing to look the girl over with her eyes. She was just a smidge taller than the Latina, and had dark black hair that would have surely reflected in the sunlight had it not been streaked with dirt. Santana wasn't sure if she was tan or just covered in dust, but the most striking thing about the girl was her eyes. They were a vibrant, shocking green that only seemed brighter compared to her dark hair and skin.

The slave owner sighed, but obeyed the Latina and unshackled Clair. The raven haired teenager wasted no time in bolting away from the two.

"After her!" The slave owner shouted at a few of the slave farm workers. The looked up from the activities they had been occupied with and chased after the running slave.

Santana and the slave owner also took off after the fleeing slave. They watched as the girl came to the fence surrounding the property and was quickly brought down by the workers. She struggled under their grips, but soon fell still as they landed a couple of hits on her.

Santana and the slave owner finally caught up with the workers and slave. Clair had been pulled to her feet and had blood running down her forehead from one of the hits. Her breathing was ragged and she was panting.

"I will give her 1000 dollars for her, take it or leave it." Santana said definitely. The slave owner looked at her in surprise, but nodded. It was about $300 more than he would have suggested, especially after her little attempt at escape.

Santana reached into her handbag and pulled out the correct amount of money. The man counted it carefully and then nodded. Santana returned the nod and then turned to her new purchase.

"Put the shackles back on and take her out to the carriage. I will be waiting." She instructed, turning towards the gate. One of the workers immediately opened it and she walked out towards the awaiting carriage.

The workers hurried, as it was a Lopez case, to retrieve a pair of shackles and secure Clair in them. She remained calm and almost unresponsive as she was led to Santana's carriage.

Santana Lopez watched as her newly purchased slave was led to the carriage. She nodded curtly as her young slave was forced into the carriage, and sat cross legged on the floor with her wrists chained together in front of her.

The slave owner nodded at Ms. Lopez once more before shutting the carriage door. In a matter of seconds the driver had flicked his whip at the two large Clydesdales and they had taken off down the road.

_**Like I said, please leave a review and let me know if you think this is worth continuing. Thanks!**_


	2. Chapter 2

"So Clair, in what specialties have you been trained?" Santana asked as she watched the trees fly by out the window. The slave turned to look at her, surprised that she had been spoken to.

"I only came to the farm 3 weeks ago, but mostly labor." Clair replied quietly. She returned her attention back to her wrists and fiddled with the shackles.

"And where were you before the farm?" Santana asked, concerned. How could a young, seemingly healthy slave like her have not received any training other than labor? Girls, or property, like her were normally taught cooking, cleaning, or other indoor tasks.

"A work camp." The slender girl said from the floor of the carriage. She unconsciously put a hand over a long scar running from her wrist to elbow.

"I see." Santana said, obviously surprised at the answer. She had always refrained from purchasing slaves that had been in work camps. They were never properly trained to respect their masters or mistresses, and often hated them because of the harsh wardens at the work camps.

The carriage was silent once again as Santana thought over her new purchase. She couldn't put her finger on exactly why she had chosen the girl. The slave had tried to escape within a minute of meeting her after all. But something about her was just…..different.

* * *

Soon enough, the carriage pulled up to two large iron gates. They slowly opened, creaking as they went, and the carriage was pulled through. Clair watched as they pulled up to the largest mansion she had ever seen.

The carriage came to a stop and after a few seconds, the on Santana's side was opened. She stepped out gracefully and smoothed the expensive dress she was wearing. The Latina motioned for Clair to follow, and the younger girl made her way out of the carriage with some difficulty, since her wrists were still shackled.

Santana turned Clair towards the girl who had opened the carriage door. She looked to be around Santana's age, and was Asian, with long, dark hair. She was dressed in a traditional maid's outfit, and her hands were clasped in front of her respectfully.

"Clair, this is Tina. She will show you to the slave quarters and get you a uniform." Santana said. Her voice was almost emotionless and she was sure to keep her face stern.

Without saying anything else, Santana removed the keys the slave owner had given her from her dress pocket and unlocked the shackles on her wrists. The Latina watched her carefully for a few moments afterwards, and noticed the girl's muscles tensing up through her tattered clothing. Clair looked around quickly, then just as Santana thought she was going to bolt, the girl relaxed.

Tina gave Santana a respectful nod before pulling Clair towards a small cabin perhaps 30 yards away from the mansion. Clair surveyed the large amount of land around her as they walked. There were acres upon acres of farmland, and a large red barn a short distance away from slave cabin. Clair assumed that she would be doing most of her work there.

The Asian servant led the younger girl to the cabin and opened the door. Four mattresses stuffed with corn stalks sat on the floor, which was a huge improvement from what she had lived with back at the slave owner's. Clair's thoughts were broken as Tina handed her a change of clothing.

* * *

Santana slammed the door to her study shut and sat down in the large leather chair beside the fireplace. She rang the small bell that sat on the stand beside her and within a minute, her in house slave Mercedes arrived at the door.

"Yes Ms. Lopez?" The slave asked respectfully.

Santana dreaded what the next hour would bring. "After the new slave is…is branded," Santana cursed herself for stuttering, "send her into the study."

Santana saw Mercedes cringe, but nod obediently. Santana waved her out of the study and then focused on the fireplace. If it was up to her, she wouldn't brand any of her servants or slaves. But the law in her county was strict about that kind of thing, and had no tolerance for sympathetic slave owners.

About half an hour later, Santana heard the wail of pain from out by the slave cabin, and it sent her into a whirl of flashbacks.

* * *

_The flames leapt at the sky, lighting up the night around the flaming mansion. A large crowd had gathered outside of the burning Pierce residence. Her Brittany was in there. _Her _Brittany. And the worst part was, no one could know of the love between them. But right then, Santana didn't care. She bolted towards the house, _into _the house. _

_ Shouts came from behind Santana, but she didn't acknowledge them. The Latina bolted through the blazing home, and her head snapped to the side as she heard a shriek. Looking up, she watched as a large part of the ceiling crashed down at the top of the stair case, onto a tall blonde figure._

_ "No!" Santana screamed as she felt arms dragging her out. Her eyes remained locked on the collapsed figure until the smoke became too thick for her to see through anymore. _

* * *

Santana was snapped back into reality as the door to her study opened. Clair stood in the door frame, with Mercedes behind her. Her skin was pale, even pasty, with a thin sheet of sweat coating it, and she seemed shaky. Santana motioned for her to come sit in front of her and Clair did so reluctantly.

Santana pulled down the collar of Clair's new shirt to inspect the fresh burn mark on the girl's shoulder. Mercedes reentered the room with a few clean rags in a bowl of ice water. She sat it on the stand next to the chair and exited quietly.

The Latina picked up one of the rags, rung it out, and placed it gently on the burn. Clair's muscles tensed at the contact, but then relaxed in relief. She let a held breath out through her nose and sighed.

"You'll begin work tomorrow in the field. The boy who branded you tonight, Mike, he will be instructing you. Just because he did what he did tonight doesn't mean you are to fear him. He was under orders and I can assure you that he did not enjoy it." Santana explained. Again, she kept her voice controlled and stern.

Clair nodded and whimpered a bit as Santana continued to clean the brand. She had lost a slave once, from an infection, so she had learned that even though slaves are property, they have to be taken care of.

Santana finished her task and set the rags back in the bowl. "Stand up." She commanded and Clair got up off of the floor.

"You can go back to your cabin now. Be sure to sleep as much as you can and don't lye on your back. I will send Tina to wake you in the morning." The Latina said. Clair nodded.

"Yes….Ms. Lopez." She forced out, obviously having trouble speaking so respectively. Santana hid her slight amusement and watched her go.

_**Hi guys. Thanks for the couple reviews! Please leave some more and I'll try to update as soon as I can.**_


	3. Chapter 3

Clair awoke to Tina nudging her shoulder gently. Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment she forgot where she was, only to remember that she had been purchased yesterday. With a groan, she got up off of the thin mattress, the still fresh burn flaring up in pain.

* * *

Santana took her time eating the large breakfast that had been prepared for her. She continuously glanced at the window towards the slave quarters. Her sleep had been restless, filled with flashbacks and odd dreams. In fact, she was glad to be awakened.

After eating, dressing, and giving the in-house servants their orders for the day, Santana finally began out towards the slave cabin. It was a brisk morning, as most fall ones were in Ohio. The Latina approached the front of the cabin, where her slaves stood in their line, waiting.

* * *

Clair watched as her new mistress walked up to her. She had met the other slaves last night as they all came in from their work. Mercedes worked in the kitchen most days. Peeling potatoes, bringing in produce, doing dishes, polishing the silverware, and cleaning of course. Mike was a laborer, like herself. He was kind, and Clair could tell he hated himself for having to brand her. The last slave was named Rachel. Clair hadn't found herself liking Rachel very much. For one, she had stayed up half the night trying to find things out about her. And she seemed full of herself. Clair had never met a slave who was full of herself. What was there to be prideful about; she had been taught that she was property. Worthless property.

"Mercedes; begin preparing the food for tonight's dinner. Ms. Fabray, Mr. Hummel and Mr. Anderson are all coming over this evening, so I expect everything to be perfect. Am I understood?" The Latina spoke quickly. Mercedes nodded immediately and then walked off towards the house.

"Rachel. You'll be helping Mercedes today. Try to be helpful, at least for today." It was obvious Rachel was not Ms. Lopez's favorite slave and Clair had to fight to hide her smile as Rachel nodded reluctantly and followed after Mercedes.

"Michael, Clair, follow me." Santana ordered. Both slaves walked after her, towards the barn.

* * *

Santana waited for Mike open the large barn doors, and then stepped in. The smell of hay filled the air, and Clair looked around. It was very spacious, with a lot of machinery. Clair was familiar with most of the farming equipment.

"Clair, Michael will instruct you in what you'll be doing. Work ends when the sun goes down, unless I tell you otherwise. Quit any earlier, and you'll earn 30 lashes." Ms. Lopez told the younger girl, who visibly flinched. Santana knew that whips were widely used in the work camps.

* * *

The Latina turned around quickly and exited the barn. She hoped buying the slave wasn't a mistake. If the girl couldn't work, she would have to take her back to a work camp. It was always a shame to see a young, healthy slave get ruined by lack of training and care. Ms. Lopez didn't believe in mistreating slaves for no reason. Sure, they had to be punished, but that doesn't mean you beat them for no reason.

* * *

Clair looked at Mike expectantly. "All this hay needs to get up into the hayloft," he said, gesturing to the _huge _pile of hay, "so you can go up the ladder and I'll throw it up to you. Your hands are probably going to get a little raw, but they'll harden soon enough." The young man finished. Clair nodded and climbed the ladder to the hayloft.

Just as she was about to reach the top, one of the ladder rungs broke beneath Clair's foot. Luckily, she had a firm hold on the rungs in front of her and didn't fall. She made a mental note not to place her foot there, and then continued up into the loft.

* * *

Clair and Mike worked in silence for hours. Clair ended up having to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out, as her hands had begun to bleed from gripping the rough cord that held the hay bales together. No matter how she tried to hold them, the string continued to cut into her palms.

Working at a steady pace, Mike and Clair managed to get about a third of the hay up into the loft. The girl's muscles were sore from lifting the bales, though she knew better than to complain.

Tina interrupted the two slave's work as she entered the barn. "Mistress Santana expects you two to wash up and then be outside the mansion. The guests are almost here." The Asian girl instructed, smiling at Mike. Clair picked up that they were a couple.

Mike showed Clair to the basin out behind the slave cabin. A small water pump stood beside it and Mike quickly took his shirt off and dumped a bucket of freezing water on himself. He gave Clair a small smile before leaving her to bathe.

Clair pumped water as fast as her aching muscles would let her and eventually had enough water to rinse off. She stripped quickly and soaked for a short amount of time in the water before pulling her clothes back on. Her outfit consisted of a mere long sleeved blouse and a pair of small shorts. Clair was used to not having women's clothes, considering they were quickly turned to tatters when doing labor.

Clair rung her hair out and ran to the house once she was fully dressed. The pain throughout her body was strong, but she fought through it until she reached the mansion. A carriage had just begun up the driveway, and Clair quickly stood next to Mike.

After she realized that she had gone a whole day without disobeying orders, Clair frowned. This place would be incredibly easy to escape. The fence wasn't sharp on top, there were only a couple of guards on the whole property. And even better, now there were _guests. _Her mistress wouldn't be expecting an escape attempt.

Clair watched as a short young man stepped out of the carriage and then shifted her eyes to look at Ms. Lopez, who was walking down from the large porch to greet her guest. She took a deep breath, focused on the still open gate, and took off running.

_**Sorry it took awhile to update, I've been busy lately. Please leave some reviews and thank you to the readers who already did!:D**_


	4. Chapter 4

"Mistress Santana! Mistress Santana! Claire is escaping!" Rachel shouted from out of the kitchen window. The Latina whirled around to give Rachel a fierce glare for speaking out in front of her guest before she registered what the short girl had said. Turning back around, she saw Clair's skinny figure bolting towards the fence.

"Stop her!" Santana yelled towards the oblivious guards. Their heads snapped towards their boss, and then on the fleeing slave. One of the two guards charged Clair, only for her two deliver a swift kick to his crotch. The large man went down, groaning in pain, and Clair pulled the same move on the other guard, sending him to the ground as well.

Santana would have laughed at the two men on the ground if the circumstances were different. Meaning if her reputation as a slave owner wasn't at stake. And now to make matter worse, both the Fabray and Hummel carriages had pulled in.

Seeing that Mr. Anderson had already decided to help and run after the slave, Santana hurried after him, doing her best to look calm and collected. When she looked back again, Ms. Lopez realized that her other two guests had joined the chase.

* * *

Clair did her best to block out the pain in her muscles, but it was still slowing her down drastically. A small burst of hope pushed her further as she realized she was closing in on the fence. Daring to glance over her shoulder, Clair saw that the guards had rejoined the chase, as well as Ms. Santana's guests.

Clair finally reached the fence and used what was left of her strength to pull herself over. Just as she expected her feet to touch the ground on the other side, she felt a fierce tug on her shirt. Her feet dangled inches above the ground and she snapped her head to the side, thinking that one of the guards or even Santana had caught her. Instead, she realized that her shirt had caught on the top of the fence, trapping her.

* * *

Santana slowed down when she realized her slave was caught on the fence. _What are the odds? _She thought to herself. The guards had slowed down as well as her guests, who now all stood beside her. The Latina relaxed and worked on catching her breath as she slowly approached the wannabe runaway.

* * *

Claire felt her heart start pounding even faster as she struggled to tear the shirt. She couldn't imagine what Ms. Lopez would do to punish her, but she really didn't want to find out. The girl felt like a rabbit, trapped in a snare with the hunter walking towards it. Santana was closing in, and Claire fought against the fabric harder.

Santana and her entourage eventually reached the fence. The two guards quickly circled around to the other side of the fence and pulled the frantic girl off of the fence. She fought against them as hard as she could, though her energy was almost drained. Clair fell still as the two large men hit her with forceful punches.

* * *

"That's enough." Santana said quietly as soon as she figured Clair had been beaten enough. The teenager now had blood running down her face from both her nose and forehead, as well as a blackening eye.

"Do you want your whip?" One of the guards asked, squeezing one of Clair's arms as he pulled her up. The other guard took firm hold of her arm as well.

"No. Not the whip. I want you to erect a wooden pole in the middle of the west field and tie her to it. No food, no interaction, for three days. You are not to go back to it. I will take her enough water to ensure that she lives." The Latina came up with the idea after a few moments of silence. The guards nodded, though a bit puzzled, and then drug Clair away.

After the slave had been taken away, Santana turned back to her guests. "I'm sorry for the interruption." She said, smiling at them. She would have been much more furious if they had been business partners, or her parents. But these people were her friends.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with a little excitement before dinner." Kurt Hummel said. The rest of the young adults chuckled and then started back towards the mansion.

* * *

Dinner was filled with laughter and stories, as well as good food. When the meal was finally finished, the friends sat around the table, talking calmly.

"So Santana, what made you purchase such a…wild slave?" Blaine Anderson asked as he took a sip of his wine.

"Well, as you know, I like a challenge. And she's strong; one of my other slaves informed me that she worked without a break all day. She just needs to be broken, and I'm sure a few days out at the post will do it." Santana said, sipping at her wine as well. Mercedes poured more of the alcohol into the wine glass and Santana nodded at her.

"What kind of work does she do?" Quinn asked. She had noticed that the girl had been wearing worker's clothes.

"She's a laborer. Came from a work camp." The Latina explained. She wondered what Clair would have turned out like with the proper training.

"That's a shame." Kurt noted. Everyone else at the table nodded in agreement.

* * *

Eventually Santana's guests started to depart, vowing to have dinner again soon. Once they had left, Santana went into her study. She sat in the expensive, soft chair beside the large window, and let her thoughts take over. She thought of Brittany and how she had tried to escape once. Her punishment hadn't been near as harsh as Clair's, for Santana had already been starting to fall for her. The Latina suddenly decided to push the thoughts of the deceased blonde out of her head, and turned to the window.

Santana watched Clair out the window. The sun was beginning to set, and she could see the girl, hands tied behind her around the pole, on the knees. She was still as a statue, and her head hung low. Santana had heard about this form of punishment from a man she had done business with once, and found that it was the perfect time to try it. But there was another reason she had chosen that form of punishment. Santana Lopez knew that she wouldn't be able to whip the girl herself.

_**Hey guys. I updated a little faster this time haha. Please leave some reviews!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Santana sat in her master bedroom, staring out the window at the darkening horizon. She could still see Clair out in the field. The Latina rose from her position on the bed as the girl got on her feet, leaning against the post to stand. Santana walked straight up to the window and peered out. The slave was pulling at her bindings, leaning forward as hard as she could. She yanked herself forward a few more times, with enough force to surprise Santana. Eventually, she grew tired and sank back to the ground again. Santana watched her a while longer before returning to her bed.

Santana climbed back into her bed and forced herself not to think about Clair. However, the thoughts ran back into her head, and Santana stared up at her ceiling. What was she going to do to discipline the girl? If the post didn't work, Santana would be forced to resort to straight up violence.

* * *

Santana eventually fell asleep, and was woken at her usual time the next morning. She completed her usual morning routine of bathing, dressing, and eating a large prepared breakfast. Santana didn't utter a single word as she did these tasks. Her servants worked efficiantly and quietly around the woman, sensing her serious mood. Finally, Santana made her way outside.

"I expect everyone to go back to their normal duties today. Michael, you will tend to the livestock today. The cattle need branded and the west side of the fencing has a hole in it, so it must be repaired by the end of the day. And _no one _is to approach the girl. Am I understood?" Santana addressed her slaves, looking them each in the eye after the last sentence. They all nodded immediately and walked in various directions.

Santana sighed as she turned towards the field. Slowly, she made her way towards the tall standing post. The sun was already incredibly hot for the early morning time, and she knew it would only get hotter. It was a dry kind of heat, the heat that killed crops and dried up streams. Eventually Santana found herself in the center of the field, standing in front of Clair.

The teenager on the ground brought her gaze up to meet her mistress's slowly. Her entire face was darkened with a layer of dirt, as well as the rest of her body. A dark bruise also mauled her cheek bone, as well as a black eye. She didn't say anything, but instead locked her jaw and looked back down at the soil surrounding her.

"Hungry?" Santana asked. Clair kept her eyes locked on the ground, and shook her head slightly.

"Good. You won't get an ounce of food for the next three days." Santana's tone hardened. Much to her dismay, Clair did not so much as flinch.

"I'll return later in the day with enough water to ensure your survival. You are not to try to call any of the other slaves over. Do not bother the guards. Do not do _anything._" Santana ordered. Once again, she got no reply.

Santana said nothing else, turned around, and walked away from the post. Clair's head finally raised and she watched the woman go, coughing a bit as dust filled her lungs.

Hours passed. The sun rose higher into the sky, bringing it's heat with it. Heat waves rose from the ground, blurring the air above. The air was still, heavy, and thick, making it hard to breath the moment you stepped into it. In the early afternoon, when the sun was at it's highest, was when Santana decided to bring a bit of water out to her newest slave. She filled a small glass with water and started out towards the field. By the time she reached the post, she herself was sweating and hot.

Clair hadn't seemed to move since Santana had left her that morning. Her head leaned back against the post and she had one leg outstretched in front of her, while the other was folded beneath her. Her torn and ripped shirt seemed to have torn further, maybe from more attempts at freeing herself, leaving her shoulders exposed. _Good, _Santana thought, _let them get burnt._

Santana cleared her throat and was pleased when Clair's head turned towards her, though it was a slight movement. The girl's eyes were weary, and her skin shined with dirt and sweat.

Without saying anything, Santana bent down and pressed the cup to Clair's lips. The girl made no attempt to drink any of the water and turned her head slightly away.

"Would you rather die?" Santana asked harshly. She got no response. Sighing angrily, the Latina gripped the girl's face roughly and forced the glass to her lips. Clair finally relented and allowed some of the water to flow into her mouth.

Santana eventually got the stubborn slave to drink the entire glass of water. She then stood up and left without a single word. The Latina was glad to get back into her mansion, for the heat was terrible. She began second guessing leaving Clair out there. The temperature didn't usually rise this high. And not to mention, the girl was pretty pale, so there was no doubt she would be extremely burnt by tomorrow. But if she did let Clair of early, the other slaves and servants may see her as weak.

* * *

Eventually, the sun began to go down, and the temperature began to cool off. Santana decided to take out half a glass before nightfall. She made her way out to the field, which was much easier in the cooler weather, and knelt beside Clair. The girl's skin was burnt, not to Santana's surprise. Her eyelids drooped and her expression remained apathetic to everything around her, even as she accepted the water once again. Santana stayed silent as she held the glass to the slave's lips and left as soon as she had finished. Two days left.


	6. Chapter 6

A loud clap of thunder woke Santana from the light sleep she had drifted into. For a moment, she lied in the bed, staring at the ceiling. It was then that she remembered Claire was outside. She sprung up from the bed and hurried to the window. Rain was coming down _hard_. She squinted, wishing she could see, when lightening lit up the sky and for a brief second, she could see the girl in the middle of the field. She had situated herself so that she was lying down, arms stretched behind her back, and legs curled up into her side.

Uncertainty washed over Santana. That pole was the only thing in the middle of the open field, and the storm was right overhead. Santana shook the worry from her mind, or, tried to, and broke her gaze away from the window. She turned and crawled back into her bed.

Santana was unable to sleep for the rest of the night. As soon as she heard her servants start to work downstairs, she got up and started getting ready. Santana was careful to avoid looking out the window and she dressed and did her morning routine. Finally, she was ready and started downstairs.

When Santana had finally finished her breakfast and had given the in-house servants their orders, she started outside. There was still the smell of rain in the air, and the rising sun was making the air around her humid. As the Latina woman approached the slave cabin, they all came filing out. She stiffly gave them their orders for the day. Santana watched as they all gave sideway glances at Claire's still figure, which had remained in the same position since Santana had looked outside in the middle of the night.

After the slaves went their separate ways to begin their day's work, Santana walked to the edge of the field. The heavy rain had turned the field into an ankle deep ocean of mud, and Santana would be damned if she was going to trudge through it to bring her slave a glass of water. She'd just have to wait until the sun dried out the land enough.

* * *

Several hours later, the sun had been in the sky long enough to once again bake the earth. It was hotter than the day before, and heat waves were visible as they rose from the land. Santana filled a small glass with water and started making her way out into the field.

When Santana finally came to where her slave was, Santana cleared her throat and waited. The girl, who was still lying on her side, didn't move. Sighing, Santana reached down and pulled the girl up by her tattered shirt. Claire seemed to jump a little, and it occurred to Santana that she had probably drifted off from heat exhaustion.

Santana watched in amusement as Claire sipped at the water, determined not to seem thankful or eager. She avoided eye contact with her, though she probably wouldn't have been able to lift her head if she wanted to. It was then that the Latina noticed the dark shade of red that Claire's skin had turned. Hiding her concern, Santana smirked, turned, and walked away.

* * *

Santana spent the rest of her day pacing anxiously around the house, yelling at servants for no apparent reason, and staring out her window. _One more day, _Santana told herself. She had felt _certain _feelings arising that she had sworn she'd never feel again. So, she shoved them away.

Santana sent for one of her guards to take out a glass of water, knowing the more she distanced herself the better. She watched the man carefully, and despite swearing she would keep her emotions at bay, felt anger rise in her stomach when the man gripped Claire under her chin and forced the water into her mouth.

Santana decided that she would release Claire from her post at three in the afternoon the next day. She would give her a day at the most to recover, and then send her right back to work. The Latina wouldn't show her mercy. This was a punishment. She didn't have anything to be sorry for. Claire had attempted to escape, and her actions had come with repercussions.

Santana fell asleep, and was once again plagued by nightmares. At first, she thought she was just reliving the night of the fire. But when she looked up to where Brittany had been standing, it was Claire who was crushed by the burning inferno of the collapsing ceiling. Santana woke up in a cold sweat several times, but was finally able to drift into a heavy sleep.

* * *

Santana slept in later than normal, and woke up just before 11. She made the decision to not bother bringing Claire out water. She could get it when she was released. A few hours shouldn't make a difference. The Latina managed to not even look out the window. She busied herself with managing the mail that had come in, sending out business letters, as well as answering a few personal ones. She counted the chimes on the clock that rang from the hallway, and when it struck three, she started outside.

Santana made her way into the field for the last time and approached Claire without saying a word. She bent down and hurried to untie the bonds on her wrist. She bit the inside of her cheek when she noticed that the slave's wrists had been rubbed raw. When the girl made no attempts to get up, Santana took her by the arm and pulled her up. To the Latina's surprise, Claire omitted a tiny groan of pain and nearly fell back down. She was forced to lean against the pole for support.

"Walk." Santana ordered. The Latina caught a flash of uncertainty in the girl's eyes before she released her grip on the pole. Claire took her first shaky step, her legs unsteady from not being used. She stumbled a bit, trying to fight off the lightheadedness from not eating for three days, combined with the stiffness of her limbs. The girl half expected a rough shove from behind when she was forced to stop for a few seconds, but surprisingly, her "mistress" walked beside her patiently.

Claire eventually made it out of the field, and knew she was going to pass out soon. Her eyes were clouded with darkness and her breaths were more labored. Her skin was on fire as well, having been scorched in the skin for three days. Blisters had formed on her skin in places.

"Wash yourself. You'll have a day to recover. I hope you've learned something from this." Santana said curtly, turning and walking away from the girl.

* * *

Santana felt as though a large weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Although, she was a bit concerned about the girl's state of health. But, now that she was out of the sun and the field, she'd probably be fine. Santana went back to her desk to finish her letters. She rang for Tina and instructed her to bring dinner into the study and then go check on Claire. The small Asian girl did as she was told, arriving with the Latina's dinner 45 minutes later, and then going out to the slave cabin. Santana had just finished her work when she heard a knock at the study's door. "Come in." She called, putting her stationary into the desk's drawer. Tina stepped in, her face etched with concern.

"Claire is unconscious. We tried dumping water on her, but she's not responding-" Tina's voice cut off as Santana stood up abruptly, shoving past her towards the door. "Send a carriage for Dr. Schuester, _now._" The Latina ordered, starting out towards the cabin.

_**Hey guys, I'm really sorry I haven't updated recently. School's been crazy, along with cheer and a musical I'm in. So please please please review! I'd be more than happy to take suggestions! **_


	7. Chapter 7

Santana waited impatiently for the next hour until Dr. Schuester's carriage arrived. The handsome, curly haired man was led to the slave cabin by Tina, where the estates slaves stood outside. They made way respectfully for him and he entered the small building.

Without saying anything to Santana, the doctor kneeled down next to the unconscious girl. Her skin was still an incredibly dark red, and sweat shone on her forehead. Schuester felt Claire's forehead, and found it to be unnervingly warm.

"Your servant informed me of the punishment you used on her. Based on the weather the past three days, it's obvious she has severe sun poisoning. She's sweating a lot, so she's probably dehydrated by now. Since she hasn't had food in her body, she's extremely weak. I wouldn't recommend her doing any labor for the next five to seven days. And you'll need to apply this," Schuester reached in his bag and pulled out a small jar containing a bit of a gel like substance.

"It's made from the aloe plant. It'll help the blisters and the sunburn fade quicker." The man said, handing it to Santana. This wasn't the first time he had seen a slave in such condition, especially this summer. The temperatures had been unusually high.

"As for getting her to wake up, I suggest cold water until her eyes open." Schuester said, standing up. Santana nodded, still studying the girl on the floor.

"I'll send your fee in the mail tomorrow." The Latina said, finally looking up at the man. He nodded before exiting the slave cabin and starting towards the carriage again.

"Mike." Santana called. A few seconds later, the Asian boy appeared in the doorway.

"Carry her out to the pump and put her in cold water. Have Rachel assist you. Once she's awake, dry her off _carefully _and bring her into the mansion. I'll have a spot set up in the basement for her." Santana ordered, making sure her pity for Claire didn't show. The young man nodded and stepped around his mistress to lift the limp girl.

* * *

Half an hour later, Mike stepped through the door, supporting a barely awake Claire. Her hair was still damp and clung to her red forehead. Her clothes had been changed, as she was now wearing a lose pair of Mike's shorts and one of his shirts. Rachel supported her from the other side, careful not to brush against her sunburned legs.

"Take her to the basement." Santana said, getting up from her position at the table. She walked ahead and opened the door. Claire didn't meet her gaze as she was practically carried past.

Santana walked behind her slaves as they made their way down the stairs. She had set up an old mattress on the floor, covered it with a spare sheet, and then put a blanket on top of it. Mike and Rachel gently lowered Claire onto it, but nevertheless she groaned in pain. Santana waved the two slaves off and they hurried up the stairs.

Kneeling down next to the barely awake girl, Santana opened the jar of medicine Dr. Schuester had given her and dabbed a bit into her hand. She kept silent as she gently applied it to her slave's sunburnt skin. Santana could tell it brought some relief as Claire's muscles relaxed a bit. She brought a glass of water to Claire's lips and the girl sipped at it weakly.

Unsure of what to do, Santana placed the second glass of water she had brought next to the make-shift bed and stood up. She found herself unable to say anything to the girl on the floor, so she quickly turned and left.

* * *

Santana found herself tossing and turning the rest of the night as she thought about Claire. Finally, around three in the morning, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she went down and checked on her again. Santana rose from her bed and pulled on her robe, shivering as her feet made contact with the cold wooden floor. She slowly made her way down the stairs, careful to keep quiet as she made her way down the stairs.

At last, Santana reached the basement and peeked around. As she heard movement, she froze. Lifting the candle she had brought in order to see, it illuminated Claire's arm as she tried to lift the glass of water. Forgetting about keeping her distance, Santana hurried to kneel down next to her and lift the glass to her lips. Claire looked up at her in surprise, but accepted the help. She seemed barely able to hold her head up, and winced in pain as she moved. Eventually, she managed to finish the last of the water and lean back again. Her eyes stared up at Santana's questioningly, wondering what had brought on the sudden wave of caring. The Latina stared back at her, the candle light flickering in the otherwise dark basement. Everything inside her told her to lean forward and kiss the girl, but her brain fought against it. Sighing, Santana stood up and exited the basement, battling with the urge to turn back every step of the way.

_**So…..what do you guys want to see from here? I'm honestly down with having Santana start acting on her impulses, or fighting them more. Just tell me what you guys want!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Santana woke the next morning and immediately went down towards the basement. She carried another glass of water and a couple slices of bread down and sat them next to the girl on the floor. Claire said nothing, but attempted to sit up. Her face was etched with pain at every movement and Santana was quick to help her sit up. Claire seemed to almost flinch at her touch.

Santana pretended not to notice the slave's aversion and opened the jar of medicine. She started applying it to the girl's severely sunburnt flesh. The dark room was quiet, tense even, as Claire remained still under Santana's touch. Eventually, the Latina finished and stood. She should not be feeling like this. Claire was not Brittany. And Brittany was the only one she swore she'd ever feel this way about. This was not how owners were supposed to feel about their slaves. Brittany was a onetime thing. There would never be someone she could feel like that about again.

Santana left Claire alone for a while, struggling to keep her distance, even though she had tried to convince herself that she didn't have any feelings for the girl down in the basement. She went outside to oversee her other slaves' work. They all stared at her questioningly, but they knew better than to ask the question on their minds. Santana decided to answer it for them.

"Claire is fine, as of now. She will not be back for a while, so you'll all need to pick up the extra work. Am I understood?" Santana asked. Her slaves nodded and left to resume their duties.

* * *

Eventually, Santana walked back down to the basement. Claire's eyes fluttered open as she heard the footsteps, and eventually they focused on Santana as she stepped towards her.

The Latina helped Claire to sit up a bit and drink the water that she had brought for her. When her hand made contact with the girl's skin, she was alarmed at how warm it was. A layer of sweat had formed on Claire's flesh, and there was literally heat radiating from her. "I'll be back." The Latina found herself saying as she stood. Claire watched her go, barely able to hold her eyes open.

Santana returned minutes later with a cloth and small basin of cold water. She dipped the rag into it and then rung it out. As soon as the cloth made contact with Claire's skin, she sighed in relief. Santana took her time dabbing the cold water onto the girl's burnt skin and eventually dabbed at her face. As the Latina stood up and prepared to leave, she was caught off guard when a weak "thank you" came from the girl on the floor. Santana turned around to look at her in surprise.

"You're welcome." Was the only thing Santana could think to say as she turned and left. Claire had actually spoken to her.

Hurrying up the stairs, Santana struggled to erase what had just happened from her mind. Something about the look in Claire's eyes, and her voice, and everything just reminded her of Brittany, of how she had _felt _about Brittany. It wasn't right. She had made a promise to herself, to _Brittany._

* * *

Santana spent the rest of the day attempting to busy herself around the house. Her servants remained quiet, sensing that she was a little off. Not once had she barked at them all day. Towards the end of the day, Santana headed back down with cold water, a cloth, a cup, and a plate with an actual meal on it.

Santana watched as Claire looked up once she had entered the basement. The girl still looked bad, but she made the effort to lift her head as Santana walked towards her, wincing at the movement.

"Are you alright?" Santana asked, kneeling down beside Claire. She took a moment before nodding.

Santana quickly went to work, wiping the cold water over Claire's dark red flesh. The girl shivered as the icy water made contact with her skin, finally getting relief again from the heat. Santana helped her sit up again before she started applying the medication that Dr. Schuester had given her. Claire seemed to have found relief once it was all done, though she only picked at the food Santana had brought her.

"You should really eat more….to regain your strength." Santana said as she started to pick up the things she had brought down. Claire's eyes flickered to her as the Latina gently helped her lie back down. She didn't reply, but shrugged a bit. Sighing, Santana stood and walked upstairs.

* * *

The next week continued the same way. Santana came down to take care of Claire, and the girl started getting her strength back. On the seventh morning, Santana came down to the basement to see Claire barely standing, using the wall for support.

"What the hell are you doing?" The Latina asked, coming over to assist the girl, who kept her eyes fixed on the ground. It was obvious her decision had brought her a good amount of pain by the look on her face. Santana ignored the tingling in her stomach as she wrapped an arm around Claire to help her down. The girl whimpered as she slowly made her way back to the makeshift bed, with Santana's aide.

"I wouldn't suggest trying that again anytime soon. You need to heal." Santana attempted to keep her voice stern, but it faltered. Seeing Claire in pain had caused her pulse to race a bit.

"I'll be back around noon." Santana said, standing up and walking to the stairs. It was becoming harder and harder not to turn back and stay at the girl's bedside every time she had to leave.

_**Hey guys, sorry for the wait! Please please please review! I love hearing what you guys have to say!**_


	9. Chapter 9

A week later, Claire had improved to the point where she could stand on her own, and move about. She was regaining her strength as well, but Santana knew it would be several more days before she would be able to start work outside again. The Latina was anxious for that day. The tension in the house would finally be relieved. But until then, Santana knew she was going to have to assign some work around the mansion for the restless slave to do.

It was late in the morning when Santana descended the stairs into the cellar with a clean maid's uniform. Claire looked up as the Latina entered and then brought her gaze back down to the floor. It was rare for her to make eye contact with the other girl for more than a few seconds.

"Until you are able to return to laboring outside, you will be servicing me around the house. Change into these and be upstairs in the next ten minutes." Santana kept her voice calm and restrained, as she had been for the past seven days. Claire nodded slightly and moved forward off the floor to retrieve the clothing. Before Santana had even made it to the stairs, she had already pulled off her shirt. The Latina couldn't pull her eyes away from the girl's bare skin, which thanks to Dr. Schuester's medicine, had developed a dark tan instead of peeling.

Santana quickly walked up the stairs, feeling her face flush. She couldn't do this anymore. Keeping Claire on the estate was not going to work out. Santana could only imagine what Brittany was thinking as she watched her involuntarily fall for another girl.

Ten minutes later, Claire came walking up the stairs, dressed in the clothes Santana had brought her. The Latina was wishing she had chosen something slightly less revealing. The skirt she had picked was one of Tina's, and since the Asian was a lot shorter than Claire, a lot more of her legs were shown.

"Alright, start with the floor in the dining room. There's already a bucket with soap and water in there. After that, come find me and I'll have you start preparing things for this evening. A couple guests will be coming tonight and I expect better behavior than last time." The Latina instructed. Claire's jaw locked a bit, but she nodded and started in the direction of the living room. Santana watched her go and then made her way into her study.

Shutting the door, behind her, Santana sunk down in her chair at the mahogany desk. Her stomach twisted in anticipation for the night's coming events. She was having Kurt, Blaine, Quinn, as well as a perpetual business partner, Jesse St. James for dinner tonight. It would be important that it appeared that Santana had been able to break Claire into an obedient slave. Besides, St. James had a reputation for especially harsh treatment and use of his slaves, and Santana wouldn't stand for him thinking she couldn't handle her own property.

Claire took her time scrubbing the wooden floor of the dining room, making sure it was done right. She had no intentions of angering her mistress over something so petty. But eventually, she did finish and stood up. Claire wandered about the large house, eventually coming to the closed door of Santana's study. She knocked on the door and waited.

* * *

Santana jumped as she heard the knocking at the door. Turning to the grandfather clock against the wall, she realized more time had passed than she realized. The Latina rose from her chair and opened the door. Santana stood from her chair and opened the door. Claire stood there, waiting for Santana's instructions.

"You're done?" Santana asked. Claire nodded and looked down at the floor. "Alright, come with me." The Latina took Claire by the arm and led her downstairs, into the kitchen.

"I'm going to assume you've never cooked before, so just cut up the vegetables in the sink. The knives are in the top drawer." Santana ordered, gesturing about the kitchen. Claire nodded uncertainly, completely out of her element. Nevertheless, she made her way to the sink. Santana turned and exited the kitchen.

Several minutes later, Santana returned to see how her slave was doing. She watched as Claire worked at cutting the various greens into pieces. The Latina noticed Claire was getting dangerously close to cutting her fingers and before she knew it, she had stepped in. Her hand took a hold of Claire's as she stood behind her, with Santana's body pressed up against Claire's. She could feel the thin girl's muscles tense a bit as her hands were guided by the Latina's, but she soon relaxed into it. The two girls stood there, completely still, for both of their hands had stopped moving. The only sound in the house was their breathing, that was, until they heard the door opening.

Santana quickly backed away from Claire and turned her attention towards the door. Mercedes and Rachel were entering the house. Claire had resumed cutting the vegetables, but the Latina could see that her chest was rising and falling a lot fast than normal.

* * *

The next few hours passed quickly for Santana, who was still shaken by her little experience in the kitchen. She managed to snap herself out of it when the first carriage pulled up. Quinn stepped out and Santana met her on the mansion's large wrap around porch. The two women exchanged greetings and it wasn't long until Kurt and Blaine arrived as well. Sometime after that, another carriage pulled up and the final guest stepped out.

Jesse St. James stepped out of his carriage and Santana immediately took a distaste to him. The way he carried himself was almost…irritating. But she still went forward to meet him with a handshake and kept her opinion of him to herself as she led him into her mansion, along with her other guests.

* * *

Claire was just setting the last of the dishes on the table when she heard the door open. Mercedes pulled in into the kitchen before the guests came in her view again, but she still recognized a couple of the voices as the ones of the guests from the previous dinner. Claire managed to busy herself in the kitchen, when suddenly, Mercedes was shoving a bottle of wine into her hands and ushering her into the dining room. Claire wanted to protest, but refrained from doing so and walked into the dining room, bottle in hand.

Santana looked up as Claire entered the room. The dark haired girl made her way around the table, filling the glasses with wine. "Well this certainly is a change." Quinn remarked as Claire filled her glass. The slave's eyes didn't so much as flicker towards the blonde.

"Yes, I take it she learned her lesson?" Kurt asked, taking a sip of his wine. Santana nodded and faked a smirk.

"I'd say the three days at the post taught her well." The Latina forced herself to say. Jesse turned to look at Santana.

"Then I suppose she's listens quite well now, am I correct? She seems obedient…almost like a dog." Jesse asked, his eyes wandering up and down Claire as she filled his glass. Before Santana could answer, Claire opened her mouth.

"Don't talk about me like I'm an animal."

There was a tense silence in the room for a couple seconds. The wealthy slave owners were shocked at the sudden outburst. St. James rose from his seat, yanked the wine bottle out of Claire's hands, and slammed it on the table. "What did you just say? Did you give _us _orders?" The man's voice rose and he took a step towards Claire. When she didn't reply, he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her back into the wall. Santana rose from her seat quickly.

"Jesse! I will the one disciplining her." The Latina's voice rose and she stepped towards the man. He nodded curtly and released his grip on Claire's throat. The slave didn't dare to move.

"Fine. But if I can make a suggestion here…" His voice trailed off as he waited for a response.

"Alright." Santana forced herself to answer. She would not be showing weakness to this man.

"Thank you. Now, on my plantation, when a slave as disrespectful as this one has an outburst of some sort, we stop trying to teach them respect and start teaching them _fear_." Jesse started out. Santana nodded and her eyes flickered to Claire, who was rubbing her neck.

Jesse walked closer to Santana and finished the rest of his suggestion in a whisper. Her eyebrows rose and she stared at her slave for a few seconds before nodding somewhat hesitantly. Jesse seemed pleased.

"Alright then, call in one of your others to take her outside. I need to talk to you about some things before we continue." Jesse said, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

Santana called for Rachel and the short girl appeared in the doorway almost instantaneously. "Take Claire out by the cabin and bind her hands behind her." The Latina ordered. Rachel's eyes widened but she nodded and took Claire by the arm. Jesse turned to Santana and the two started towards Santana's study, excusing themselves for a few moments from the other three guests.

_**Sorry for the wait guys, I've been crazy busy! Please please please leave some reviews! I'd love to hear some input!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**So, this chapter is pretty graphic, just warning you guys. Sorry for the wait, and don't forget to review!**_

"What exactly do you have in mind, Mr. St James?" Santana asked as she shut the door to her study behind her. Jesse chuckled.

"It's a little method I came up with myself. We'll have one of your other slaves on each of her arms, while another gives her 15 lashes. Each of the slaves will take their turn until all of them have had their turn. Now, how many do you own?" The man explained. Santana's heart dropped.

"Four." Santana answered quietly. Jesse nodded.

"Now, under these circumstances, I'm going to recommend having your other guests come out and watch. It adds to the _humiliation _of it all. And at the end of it, I'm also going to suggest that you use the whip as well." The obviously sadistic man said. Santana bit the inside of her cheek and nodded.

"Well then, I suggest we get going." Jesse said, opening the study's door and heading out. Santana followed, feeling hatred bubble in her stomach towards the man.

* * *

Claire waited anxiously as Rachel bound her hands behind her back. "What did you do?" The shorter girl asked worriedly. For the first time since they had met, Claire didn't find Rachel as annoying when she looked into the girl's now fear filled eyes.

"I yelled back at one of the men in there. He compared me to a dog." Claire explained quietly, wincing as the rope was wound around her wrists, brushing against the scars left there from being tied at the stake.

"Master St. James?" Rachel suddenly asked. There was terror evident in her voice. Claire nodded.

Rachel remained silent as the two stood there, waiting. Claire internally wondered how Rachel had known, and more importantly, why she seemed so afraid of this man. The door to the mansion opened and Claire and Rachel turned to see several figures filing out. A torch was lit in the distance, and it illuminated the figures around it. Claire could see that everyone from the house had come and her stomach twisted in knots.

* * *

Santana studied Claire's face as they approached. She used the torch she was holding and lit a couple others that sat mounted on the side of the slave cabin. Even with more light, the other girl's face was unreadable. Her eyes did meet Santana's for a couple of seconds before averting again.

By then, the other slaves had wandered out of the cabin and now stood silently in confusion. Their eyes widened as they saw the whip in Jesse's hand. He turned to address them.

"You, Asian, hold her left arm. And you, hold her right." He gestured towards Mike and Rachel. They immediately did what was asked of them and took a hold of Claire's bound arms.

"Santana, I can assume you'll take over from here." Jesse said, handing the whip in his hands to Santana. She nodded curtly, the light from the flickering torches dancing across her face. She pulled Tina forward and handed it to her. The Asian girl looked at her in confusion.

"15, then hand it to Mercedes." The Latina ordered. Tina's eyes widened and she turned to look at Claire.

The first crack of the whip rang through the still night air, along with Claire's scream of pain. The girl had lurched forward, nearly breaking out of Mike and Rachel's grip. Pity was etched over both of their faces and the whip came down again and again, and was met each time with another shout. By the time Tina had finished, Claire had nearly fallen to her knees. The back of her shirt had been torn and blood had begun oozing out of the fresh lashes.

Tina had tears pooling in her eyes as she handed the whip over to Mercedes before going back to stand near the cabin. Santana watched as Claire collapsed to her knees as once again the whip came down across her back, shredding her shirt, as well as her skin. The Latina was unable to tear her eyes away as blood streamed from her slave's back, staining the strips of fabric the shirt had been reduced to.

Once Mercedes had finished, she looked at Santana, her eyes shining with tears. "Mike, trade Mercedes places." She instructed. The boy looked at her bitterly before releasing Claire's shaking arm. There were quiet sobs coming from the slave now, and she was barely able to hold herself up, depending on Rachel's grip. Mercedes hurried to take her arm.

Mike finished his 15 as quickly as he could, jaw locked, and then turned to look at Santana. "She can't take anymore; you're going to kill her." He said quietly. Santana was about to speak when Jesse stepped forward.

"I don't believe that's your decision to make. If fact, you don't get to make decisions. Now go hold the bitch's arm and allow us to finish this." St. James said, taking the whip from Mike and pushing him roughly back towards Claire.

"Rachel." Santana said, her voice cracking. The shorter girl looked up at her, barely able to contain her crying. Nevertheless, she released Claire's arm and stepped forward to take the whip in her shaking hand.

"I'm so sorry." Rachel said before pulling her arm back and cracking the whip across Claire's bloody flesh. New cries of agony rang out, mixed with Rachel's crying. When she had finished the barbaric task, Claire's back was a bloody, raw mess.

"That's enough." Santana said, taking the whip from Rachel and turning to Jesse. She looked at her other guests out of the corner of her eye and saw they were all staring at Claire in shock.

"I think it's _far _from enough. You know, you're reputation is nothing but a lie. I'll finish this myself." Jesse snarled, wrenching the whip out of the Latina's grasp. He viciously lashed the weapon at Claire's back far stronger than any of the previous slaves had done.

"Stop!" Santana yelled, rushing forward to grab Jesse by the arm. Blaine rushed forward to help her, pulling the whip away from the man and tossing it aside. St. James looked shocked that he had been stopped.

"I think it's time you leave." Blaine said in a low voice. Jesse gave a disgusted look towards everyone present and then stormed towards his carriage. In less than a few minutes, the sound of horses' hooves was evident, eventually disappearing as the carriage rolled away.


	11. Chapter 11

"Quinn, take Santana inside, then bring out a few clean sheets. _Hurry._" Kurt said, gently pushing Santana towards the blonde and then turning to the crumpled girl on the ground. Quinn nodded and started guiding the now zombie-like Latina into her house.

"Alright, um, Rachel is it? I need you to go over to the water pump and fill up the basin. Take the other girls with you." Kurt instructed, kneeling down next to Claire. The girl whimpered as he rolled her onto her stomach in order to keep the dirt off of her back. Rachel and the others nodded and hurried around the side of the slave cabin.

* * *

Quinn managed to lead Santana into the mansion and as soon as they made it through the door, the Latina burst into tears. "Santana! Santana, _look at me._" The blonde forced the now hysterical girl to look into her eyes. "Is she….is this like what happened with Brittany?" Quinn asked carefully. There was a tense pause of silence before Santana burst into tears again. "Oh my God." Quinn said in exasperation as she turned and ran a hand through her hand.

"Why the hell would you let this happen?" Quinn yelled. Santana leapt up from her position at the kitchen table and ran into her study. Quinn followed close behind.

"I can't love her Quinn! I promised Brittany, and it wouldn't be right and-" The Latina was unable to finish her rant as her voice broke off into sobs again. But it had been enough for Quinn to understand the situation.

"Santana, are you falling in love with her?" The blonde asked quietly. Santana hesitated for a few seconds before nodding, again with more tears. Quinn sighed.

"Look. This is what Brittany would have wanted. She'd want you to move on. She'd want you to be _happy_." Quinn wrapped her arm around her friend and pulled her into a hug.

"I c-cant now, after everything I've done to her." Santana struggled to calm herself. Quinn bit the inside of her lip.

"You're just going to have to regain her trust again. Now where do you keep you spare sheets? I really need to get back out there." Quinn asked, starting towards the door. Santana hurried ahead, wiping at her eyes, and quickly found her spare linen.

"Alright, just stay here and try to calm yourself down. I'll be back when we're done." Quinn said, turning towards the door and hurrying out towards the slave cabin.

* * *

"There's Quinn. Alright, on the count of three, we're going to lift her out and sit her in the cabin, on the sheets. _Do not get dirt on her back._ Ready? 1, 2, 3!" Blaine lifted Claire up under her arms as he gave the orders and Mike lifted her legs. Although the girl had been nearly unconscious a second ago, her cry of pain rang out in the night and her muscles tightened.

Quinn had burst into a sprint and had made it to the cabin quickly. She spread one of the sheets over the corn-husk mattresses on the ground and immediately started tearing the other into long strips. Claire was gently sat down on the make-shift bed, her back bleeding profusely onto the sheet. Her face was contorted with pain. The girl didn't seem to care that she was exposed, as her shirt had been discarded when the wounds on her back were cleaned.

After peeling herself away from the wall where she had been staring in shock, Rachel kneeled down beside Quinn and waited to be told what to do. "I need you to keep her sitting up while I put the bandages on. Hold her by the shoulders so it doesn't hurt any more than it has to." Quinn instructed as she wiped away at the excess blood coming out of Claire's wounds. Rachel nodded quickly and supported the girl as gently as she could.

"Claire? Can you hear me?" Kurt asked as he took a knee next to her. She nodded, barely. "Good. I need you to try to stay awake while we do this." He said, taking her hand and squeezing it to try to make her more alert. Claire nodded again and opened her eyes a little more.

Quinn started wrapping the bandages she had made around Claire's torso. The girl's breathing quickened as pressure was applied to her back, but she remained silent except for a small whimper of pain every now and then.

* * *

It took a while to completely wrap and bandage Claire's injuries and by the time it was finished, she was leaning against Rachel completely for the support. Her entire torso had been wrapped in the linen bandages, so Blaine, Kurt, and Quinn figured they didn't need to find her a loose shirt of any kind. Rachel gently released her hold on Claire's shoulders and helped her to lie back, resulting in a moan of pain. The atmosphere in the cabin was solemn, even tense as Santana's guests stood and got ready to leave.

"Um, Rachel, if anything happens during the night, run to the house and get either me or your Mistress. I'll be staying the night." Quinn ordered the shorter brunette, who nodded and remained in her position beside Claire. With that, the three left the cabin and started back towards the mansion.

"We'll be back in the morning." Blaine said as he and Kurt climbed into their carriage. Quinn nodded and shut the door. She waved the two off as the carriage was pulled down the estate's long driveway, and then headed into the house.

* * *

Santana rose from her kitchen table as Quinn entered. "We got everything wrapped and as clean as we could, but there's no telling if it's going to heal alright. She has a big chance for infection." The blonde explained. Santana nodded and there were a couple moments of silence between the two.

"Do you want to go out and see her?" Quinn asked, knowing what would be going through the Latina's head. Santana nodded and started towards the door, leaving her blonde friend standing in the kitchen, unsure of whether or not she should follow.

Santana managed to keep her pace at a walk as she made her way out to the cabin. Her stomach was twisted into knots, as it had been since Claire had spoken out at dinner, and her heart was pounding. She had just ruined every chance of being happy again. She had just ruined _Claire._ But even though she was sure the other girl was going to hate her, she needed to see her tonight.

Santana took a deep breath before walking through the cabin door. Her slaves looked up at her in surprise, and then immediately back down at Claire, whose head was resting in Rachel's lap. "Could you all please step outside for a minute?" The Latina's voice cracked, and all authority in her voice was gone. Her slaves nodded but seemed hesitant, especially Rachel, but filed out anyway. Mike was the last one and he gave Claire one last look before shutting the door behind him, leaving Santana alone with Claire.

_**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I was finishing up a musical among other things, but now everything is done and I'll be able to update a LOT faster now! Please review! **_


	12. Chapter 12

"Claire?" Santana asked quietly, wondering if the girl was still even conscious. To her surprise, Claire's eyes were opened and were now locked unsteadily on her. The Latina took a step forward, but stopped when the other girl flinched.

"Claire….I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." Santana said quietly. Claire stared at her in confusion and uncertainty.

"Do you want to come inside?" Santana offered, wondering if there was anything she could do to make her more comfortable.

"I can't stand." Claire replied in a nearly silent voice. Santana felt her stomach twist with guilt.

"Alright. I'll be out in the morning to check on you. Send Mike or someone else into the house if you need anything." The Latina said as she turned and opened the cabin door. She could feel tears welling in her eyes and she desperately blinked them away.

Santana avoided eye contact with her other slaves as she exited the cabin. She knew she had ruined everything. She had seen the look in Claire's eyes. The distrust. The fear. The pain. Solutions flew through her mind on how she could handle this, but none of them seemed to work. Telling Claire how she really felt would probably end in disaster. Maybe she could ask Quinn to take her away to her plantation. That could work. She wouldn't have to worry about anything happening to her, and she wouldn't have to worry about hurting her herself. But now that Quinn knew how Santana felt about her….the odds of her taking Claire were unlikely.

Santana opened the door to her house and walked in, finding Quinn still sitting at the kitchen table, except she had made to mugs of tea. The Latina sat down in the chair next to her and took a sip of the hot drink, seemingly oblivious to it burning her mouth. Quinn waited patiently for her to say something.

"She hates me."

"Did she say so?"

"No."

"Then you don't know that yet."

"How could she not Quinn?"

"She'll forgive you."

"You didn't see the look in her eyes. She hates me Quinn. She has to." Quinn stood up as soon as Santana had finished her sentence.

"Alright, enough of this. Go to bed. We'll sort this out in the morning." The blonde ordered, taking Santana's mug and dumping the rest of the contents out. Santana knew better than to argue with her, so she obliged and started towards her bedroom.

Santana lie in her bed, wide awake, staring at her ceiling. She was fighting the urge to run out into the night and check on Claire. It took her several reminders for her to realize that her other slaves were out there with her and would come and get her if something went wrong. Finally, Santana was able to drift off into a restless sleep.

* * *

Santana was the first to rise in her household the next day. She dressed quickly, not particularly caring about her appearance for the day. The Latina didn't bother with breakfast, knowing that when Quinn woke up, she could feed herself. Instead, she had her coachman ready a carriage and started into town. She had the man park outside of the town store and hurried inside. Some of the locals seemed surprised to find her in there, but Santana didn't care. She hurried to buy bandages, a few jars of medicine, as well as a few other things she needed around the house. After completing her purchase, the Latina made her way over to the bar across the street and bought a bottle of whiskey as well. She was going to need it.

Santana loaded her purchases back into the carriage and the journey back to her estate began. It seemed to take much longer this time, as she waited anxiously for her estate to come into view. The Latina began wishing she had checked on Claire before taking off, but she knew Quinn would be capable of taking care of things while she was gone. Nevertheless, when the carriage stopped in front of her estate, Santana practically leapt out of it.

Not bothering to take her bags in the house first, Santana simply carried them out to the cabin with her. Mike was working at pumping water into a bucket and looked up as his mistress approached. Santana looked at him and he understood the silent question.

"She's doing alright. Rachel took her out to stretch her legs this morning and she walked out to the edge of the field without a lot of trouble. But there's been a lot of bleeding still." Mike informed her quietly. Something was off about him and Santana could tell he didn't trust her anymore, not that she could blame him.

"Thank you Michael." Santana replied as she turned towards the cabin door. He nodded and followed her with the pail of water.

Rachel and Claire both looked up as Santana entered, with Mike close behind. Rachel averted her eyes immediately, while Claire held Santana's gaze a bit longer before looking back at the ground. She was positioned on her stomach, obviously trying not to cause any more blood to seep through the already stained bandages.

"We'll do it if you'd like, Miss Santana." Mike said. He voice wasn't exactly offering to do it; it was more assertive. Santana handed him the bandages and medicine she had purchased, realizing it was probably better for Claire if she didn't do it anyway. The Asian boy nodded curtly as he took the medical supplies and kneeled down next to Claire. She managed to sit up, wincing as she did so and looking at Santana again. This time, the Latina was the first to look away, as she turned and left the cabin.

* * *

Quinn was waiting for Santana when she came back into the house. "Where were you?" The blonde asked, eyeing the bags in Santana's hand, as well as the bottle of whiskey.

"Town. I needed to pick up a few things." The Latina replied quietly.

"I see that. Did you talk to her yet?"

"A bit. Well no, not really." Santana admitted, sitting her things down on the kitchen table before going to one of her cupboards and retrieving a few glasses. The Latina sat back down at the table and started opening the whiskey.

"I went out and checked on her this morning while you were gone. She asked where you were." Quinn said, watching as Santana poured the alcohol into the two glasses, and then watching in amusement as Santana nearly dropped the bottle.

"She asked for me?" The Latina asked in shock. Quinn nodded before taking her glass and sipping at it. Santana wasted no time in downing hers as well. Maybe things could be fixed.

_**Hey guys, please please please leave some reviews. I love to hear what you guys think, and it gives me more to work off of! I've been having major writer's block lately, and honestly, the reviews help a lot!**_


	13. Chapter 13

Santana had downed more than her fair share of whiskey, yet she was barely feeling the effects of it. Her mind was reeling too fast. Why on earth had Claire asked for her? Why would she want to see the woman responsible for how hurt she was? Sure, it gave Santana hope, but it also confused the shit out of her.

"I'm going out to check on her." Santana said. Hours had passed since she had returned home and she couldn't wait anymore. Quinn nodded and got up from the chair in the study, which they had moved to, and followed her Latina friend out of her house.

"So what did she say?" Santana asked as she and Quinn walked side-by-side on their way out to the cabin. Quinn sighed and rolled her eyes.

"She said 'where's Santana'?" Quinn replied. Santana nodded and didn't reply. It was obvious she was deep in thought once again.

* * *

Claire and Rachel looked up as the cabin door opened. Rachel had been looking after all day, and quite honestly was starting to get on Claire's nerves. Santana tilted her head towards the door and Rachel immediately showed herself out, shooting Claire a glance on the way out. Santana had lost the trust and respect of all of her slaves last night.

"How are you feeling?" Santana asked, kneeling down next to the other girl. Claire struggled to sit up, but ended up gasping in pain when she tried. Santana took this as a response and quickly helped her, making sure to be as gentle as possible. Once Claire was sitting she looked at Santana.

"I'm so sorry Claire. I didn't….I didn't mean for this to happen." The Latina said, her voice cracking as she spoke. The other girl turned to look at her, her eyes widening. Claire didn't respond for several seconds.

"Why'd you let him do it?" Claire replied quietly.

"I don't know, it's just that St. James poses a lot of threat to slave owners and I just…..I made a mistake." Santana rattled off. This was no longer a mistress talking to her slave; it was a plea for forgiveness.

"You know they hate you for making them do it." Claire said, referring to the other slaves outside. Santana nodded.

"I know. I'll have to speak with them as well. I can't tell you how sorry I am Claire." Santana said once again. It was then that Claire asked the question Santana had been dreading.

"Why do you want me to forgive you so much? I'm your slave, it shouldn't matter." She said, averting her gaze from Santana's.

"I have…..I have _feelings _for you that I can't really explain and I don't know how to act on." Santana forced out.

"Why?" Claire asked, trying to wrap her head around what Santana had just said.

"The….the last person I had these types of feelings for…..she died." Santana bit back tears as Brittany's face appeared in her mind. She hoped the blonde would be proud of her.

"I'm not saying I don't have any feelings of my own, but I just….after everything that's happened-" Santana cut the girl off.

"It's fine, I understand. I don't blame you. Do you need anything?" Santana said, getting up. Claire shook her head and watched her go. As soon as Santana had left, she slowly lied back down and attempted to think about what to do.

* * *

"You were in there for a while." Quinn noted as Santana walked out of the cabin. The Latina turned to look at her and nodded.

"I told her that I had feelings for her." Santana said quietly. Quinn's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well what did she say?"

"She said that she needs time after everything that happened. I mean, that was kind of to be expected. She looks like she's in a lot of pain."

"I told you everything would work itself out. You just had to talk to her."

"I…I think I want to move her into the house." Quinn stopped as Santana said this.

"Santana, you're rushing things now. You heard what Claire said; she needs time." The blonde told her Latina friend. Santana nodded and bit the inside of her cheek.

"I just don't want her living like a slave anymore." The raven-haired girl replied. Quinn nodded in understanding and followed Santana into the house.

"You have to understand though, that's all she's ever known. She's always been a slave and you can't just expect her to know how to change her lifestyle in a second." Quinn advised. Santana felt the small amount of hope she had acquired begin to dissipate when the blonde pointed this out. Sighing, she sat down at the kitchen table once again.

"What do I do with her if she hasn't made any decisions by the time she's healed?" The Latina asked, already looking way too far into the future. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"That's your call Lopez. I've helped you enough. But try not to worry about that anymore today. You've done enough for this whole situation." The blonde said, snagging the bottle of whiskey before Santana could pour herself another glass.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to get out of here. You'll be fine without me?" Quinn said, starting towards the door. Santana was surprised to see a carriage already waiting outside. Quinn must have already called for it while Santana had been in the cabin.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thank you, for everything." Santana said, pulling her blonde friend into a hug. Quinn smiled and hugged her back, glad that the Latina finally didn't seem so distressed.

Santana saw Quinn's carriage off and sighed as she realized she was basically alone again. She knew she needed to give Claire her space, especially while she was recovering. Santana made her way back into her house and stared at the whiskey bottle. After a couple moments of contemplation, she grabbed it, as well as a glass, and disappeared into her study.

_**Hey guys! Please leave some reviews telling me what you thought and what you'd like to see! I'm open to all suggestions! Thanks!**_


	14. Chapter 14

Santana was drunk. And crying. The events of the past few days finally hit her with their full force and she was overwhelmed. Her mind was overrun with hatred for Jesse, mixed feelings for Claire, and overall confusion. The only thing keeping her from hunting down Jesse and shooting him in the middle of the night was knowing she needed to stay at the house with Claire, especially while she was thinking over everything Santana had said.

* * *

Claire allowed Rachel to help her sit up, groaning as she did so. The pain in her back was excruciating, but not as terrible as it was before. Rachel shook her head as she noticed the other girl's look of pain.

"Mike, Tina, Mercedes, and I have been talking. We're going to help you get out of here." The shorter of the two said quietly, even though they both knew Santana was the whole way in the house and nowhere near the cabin. Claire looked towards her in surprise.

"I don't think I'm in any position to try escaping." Claire replied.

"I mean when you're healed." Rachel said as she gently wiped at the wounds on Claire's back with a wet cloth. The girl whimpered in pain at the contact and her hands gripped the sheets beneath her.

"I think she's sorry." Claire mentioned quietly. Rachel frowned as she continued to clean the deep lashes.

"I doubt it. Miss Santana isn't exactly the most caring of people." Rachel said, wringing out the cloth she was using and wetting it again.

"She came out to see me." Claire found herself saying. Rachel's eyebrow rose and she shook her head.

"Probably just to make sure you hadn't died and she didn't need to run out and buy another slave." Rachel replied bitterly. Claire fell silent and didn't say anything else.

* * *

Santana waited until sundown to venture back out to the cabin. Once again, her other slaves gave her wary eyes as they made way for her. She sighed before entering the cabin with a glass of water and a plate of food in hand.

"Thanks." Claire said quietly as Santana set her dinner down beside her. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with the Latina.

"You're welcome. I wanted to ask you something." Claire felt her heart speed up as the other girl said this and she attempted to hide it by taking a bite of her food.

"While you're healing, I was wondering if you would stay in the house? It'll be easier for me to make sure you're alright and you won't have to worry about getting dirt in the wounds." Santana suggested carefully. Quinn had said it would be hard for Claire to just up and change her lifestyle and this seemed like a good way to ease her into it.

"Alright." Claire nodded, finally looking up at Santana. The Latina felt her heart skip a beat as they made eye contact and Claire's vibrant eyes bore into her's.

Santana waited for Claire to finish her meal before wrapping an arm around her and helping her to stand. She shivered at the contact as she escorted the girl across the lawn, towards her estate. The other slaves watched them quizzically as they made their way into the house.

Claire felt memories rush back into her head as Santana helped her through the kitchen. She couldn't help but remember the way Santana had come up behind her and the way her hands felt when they rested on her's. Claire shook the memories from her head as they came to the staircase and pain ripped through her back when they started to ascend the steps.

Santana felt her stomach lurch when Claire whimpered in pain. She secured her grip on the other girl and practically carried her to the top of the staircase. When she reached the landing, Claire was panting her face was contorted with pain. Santana gently led her into one of her guest rooms and helped her to sit down on the freshly made bed.

"Are you alright?" Santana asked, noticing that Claire was still breathing pretty heavily.

"I'll be fine." Claire answered, running her fingers through her dark hair. Santana nodded and started towards the door.

"Well…let me know if you need anything." The Latina said as she started to close the door behind her.

"Thank you for this." Claire said just as Santana had nearly shut the door. The other girl nodded at her and gave her a sort of half smile before leaving.

_**So….my life has been kind of upside down lately. I'm reallyyyyy sorry for not updating sooner. Reviews?**_


	15. Chapter 15

The next week drove Santana insane. She spent every day fluttering nervously around Claire, wanting to make sure she was alright every second of the day. But the only time she could even bring herself to actually interact with the other girl was when she was dressing her wounds. Claire didn't say much, especially around Santana, but she appeared to talk to Tina and Mercedes when either of the other women were around. And it frustrated Santana that she clammed up as soon as she came around. Not that she could blame her.

"You don't have to keep me in here anymore Ms. Santana." Claire spoke up suddenly as Santana started wiping down her back. They were sitting in her study, something that had become some sort of a routine for them. It was the one time a day when they were completely alone together. Santana glanced down at her, quite surprised at the fact she had even spoken to her.

"Your back is still healing." The Latina told her quietly as she started cleaning the healing lashes that marred her back. Looking at them hadn't gotten any easier.

"I know. That doesn't mean I can't go back to working. That wasn't the first time I've been whipped." She replied, muscles tensing at Santana's touch. Santana suddenly felt her stomach twist with despair and realized this entire week must have been hard for her. Claire _was _a slave. That's all she knew. That's all she expected to know. She didn't even know what she had expected from the girl at that point.

"Very well. If that's what you wish, you may head back to the cabin after we're through here." The Latina said stiffly, starting to apply new dressing to Claire's back. She found herself taking her time and was nearly devastated when Claire got up off of the floor and pulled her shirt back on slowly. The dark haired girl nodded uncertainly at her owner before turning and starting out of the house.

Claire breathed in as she stepped out into the night air. She hadn't been outside more than a few times since Santana had brought her into the house. The girl slowly started making her way towards the slave cabin and then stopped outside it's door. She could run away, right then. No one was watching her. No one knew she was even out of the house. By the time morning came, she could be miles away.

Turning around, Claire scanned the dark property for any sign of Santana's guards. The other slaves seemed to fear their owner enough not to make any attempts, so it made sense that the guards weren't particularly wary considering she was supposed to be in the house. This was her best chance, if any. Drawing her hand away from the cabin's door handle, Claire glanced upwards at the house. She froze as her gaze locked on the last lit window in the house. She could clearly see Santana's form standing there, watching her from her bedroom.

Claire knew she could be gone before Santana alerted the guards. In fact, it was unlikely that the Latina could even see her through the darkness right now. But she found herself turning back around and pulling the cabin door open. She also found herself hoping Santana could see her.

_**I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY. My life has been insane for the past few months, and I know this chapter is really short and crappy, but I'm going to try to start updating regularly pretty soon, okay? I'm terribly sorry for the wait!**_


	16. Chapter 16

"Claire! What are you doing in here?" Rachel piped up the moment she stepped into the cabin. The girl flinched at her loud voice, which had woken Mike and Tina up as well.

"I, um, I told her I wanted to start staying out here again." She replied, taking a seat on the make-shift bed in the corner. Rachel stared at her wide-eyed.

"So she just _let _you walk out here on your own? Why on earth didn't you run?" She demanded. Claire struggled to think of a reason. She didn't even have one herself.

"Well where was I supposed to go?" The dark haired girl said finally. It was a terrible excuse, but the best she could come up with.

"You can't just expect her to take off with no supplies and no idea where she's going. We've already discussed this; it's going to have to be planned." Mike said, shaking his head at Rachel's pushiness. The short brunette nodded in agreement eventually.

"He's right. We've been working on something, trying to find a place where you can go. Safe houses are hard to find." Rachel told Claire, who nodded. The idea of escaping was both exciting and terrifying for her. She had never had a plan in her previous attempts. Maybe this one would work. Yet, she was also met with a strange apprehension about leaving Santana when so many things were still unsaid.

"Just let her go to sleep, she's had a tiresome week." Tina cut in. Claire shot her a thankful look before positioning herself on her stomach, careful of the healing wounds on her back.

* * *

The next morning seemed to come far too soon for any of the slaves. At sunrise, they peeled themselves up, Claire needing assistance to get to her feet. Her heart started to pound as soon as she saw Santana step out of her mansion. It seemed to take forever for the Latina to reach them.

Santana rattled off orders to her slaves one by one, sending them on their way to start the day's work. Finally, she stopped at Claire. The two girls stared at each other for a few silent moments, both wondering what the other was thinking.

"Your back?" Santana asked finally. Some of the tension between them seemed to be released, and Claire relaxed a bit.

"Fine." She murmured shortly. Santana didn't look convinced, but nodded anyways.

"Then you and Michael can resume your work in the barn. If any of the wounds start to bleed again, come inside, understand? No exceptions." She said sternly. Claire nodded in understanding before turning and following Mike out to the barn.

Claire had known from the moment she left the mansion that she wasn't ready to go back to working. As soon as she and Mike started lifting the hay bales, her injuries seemed to scream in protest. Nevertheless, she continued to work, hauling bales up the ladder and into the loft. She had almost become used to working through the pain when suddenly, Mike's hand was on her shoulder.

"You're bleeding, badly." The Asian said, having noticed the huge red stain on the back of Claire's shirt. What she had thought was sweat was actually blood running down her back. Of course.

"You ought to go in." Mike murmured, knowing she wouldn't exactly be keen on it. Claire sighed and started back down the ladder.

Santana frowned as she heard a knocking at the door. She rose from her spot in her study and headed towards the front of her large house. Her breath caught in her throat when she found Claire standing on her porch.

"What happened?" Santana asked immediately. She ushered Claire into the house and then gasped at the huge amount of blood on her back.

"They opened up." Claire murmured as she was led into the kitchen. Santana quickly filled a bowl with cold water and grabbed a cloth before heading towards her study once again. Claire followed tiredly, now knowing her way around the house quite well.

"Take your shirt off, _carefully_." Santana warned, not wanting any more damage to be done. Claire did as she was told and carefully peeled off her top. It was a little sad that she was being used to being so vulnerable in front of the Latina.

Claire sucked in a sharp breath as Santana started wiping away at the blood on her back. True, the Latina's hands were gentle, but pain still shot through as the cloth grazed the open wounds. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but a small whimper escaped anyway. Her eyes clenched shut when she felt Santana tense up behind her.

"I warned you that it was too soon." Santana said, shaking her head. Claire sighed and glanced backwards at her.

"I apologize. I was simply tired of being kept in your house day after day." The girl murmured. Santana arched an eyebrow questioningly as she continued to stop the bleeding coming from her back.

"And why is that?" She asked. Claire reminded quiet for a long time and Santana began to think she was not going to get an answer.

"I figured you would feel the same Ms. Santana. Keeping your slave around your home all week doesn't sound like something you'd enjoy." She said.

"Why wouldn't I?"


End file.
